Lord Buddha is taking care of a sick Buddhist monk

This is a fraternal duty and a great example for his disciples

“He who attends on the sick attends on me,” declared the Buddha, exhorting his disciples on the importance of ministering to the sick. This famous statement was made by the Blessed One when he discovered a monk lying in his soiled robes, desperately ill with an acute attack of dysentery. With the help of Ananda, the Buddha washed and cleaned the sick monk in warm water. On this occasion he reminded the monks that they have neither parents nor relatives to look after them, so they must look after one another. If the teacher is ill, it is the bounden duty of the pupil to look after him, and if the pupil is ill it is the teacher’s duty to look after the sick pupil. If a teacher or a pupil is not available it is the responsibility of the community to look after the sick (Vin.i,301ff.).

Lily de Silva
© 1995–2013

Comments

  1. Pieter Hibma

    August 6, 2013

    Definition of compassion, sharing the suffering.

  2. Purna Gurung

    August 6, 2013

    Good morning sister! In my opinion, it's the best, because I get universal truth here.

  3. Jendhamuni Sos

    August 6, 2013

    +Alan Peto So nice to see you. There is a very long version of this story, Alan, but I only post a short one here. I like this story very much. This monk passed a way soon after and entered nirvana, but before he passed a way, his body smells pretty bad that no monks wanted to stay near him, but the Buddha only. Buddha set a very great fraternal duty in this story that when other monks saw Buddha cleaning the sick monk with this terrible smell in his own hand, they all came to help. That's when Buddha taught them this lesson.

  4. Alan Peto

    August 6, 2013

    You as well +Jendhamuni Sos :). Yes, love the story. Shows the compassion and love he had for all living beings. A shining example 🙂

  5. Jendhamuni Sos

    August 6, 2013

    +Purna Gurung Good morning, brother. Is it time for you to teach the students now? Wishing you a most peaceful day. Always happy to see you here.

  6. Jendhamuni Sos

    August 6, 2013

    +Alan Peto I will go read your posts as soon as I have a chance. My country is a bit crazy right now. I'm still so busy assisting my people in Cambodia.

  7. Alan Peto

    August 6, 2013

    Awww thanks Jendhamuni! 🙂  No worries, completely understand….I read your post about it.  My thoughts are with you and your people.

  8. Jendhamuni Sos

    August 6, 2013

    Thank you so much +Alan Peto I feel a little uneasy because I never have much time to visit friends on g+ these days. I am trying my best to stay in touch with my g+ famil. We are one big family here. And I am proud to be part of all of you.

  9. Ronnie Martin

    August 6, 2013

    Thanks for sharing this Jen , such a beautiful post

  10. Jeroen van den Bergh Den Dulck

    August 7, 2013

    Put yourself aside, selflessly, without losing yourself. Everyone should be able to be responsible and care for a life of a human or animal, providing care / first aid of wounded and sick. It is only a small part of us humans who are real good at this, and they do too much work for 1 human life because others do not participate in care tasks in society. In the Netherlands politicians talk about; commit our unemployed to take care of elderly and sick. Previously, without this low/non-educated or retrained unemployed, we ALREADY saw elderly, slowly dehydrated, by drinking too little.  In media now is a bad case; of four low educated caregivers in the death of a patient. (They were sitting on top, while patient had permission to be allowed to leave the building)

    A good starting point could be, "care" as you would want to be taken care of yourself, or, how you would take care for a family member, as in, a sibling.

    By increasing globalization of financial companies AND human Individualism we see isolation of entire groups, even with large numbers of patients. However contradictory it may sound.

  11. Ronald Harris

    August 7, 2013

    Have a great Wednesday morning and enjoy your day God bless

  12. Rob Robinson

    August 7, 2013

    :)Very beautiful, 2 bad the majority of earths population r 2 caught up wit personal gain 2 worry about the needy, it's horrible wen ur stricken wit sickness, but worse than th@, is 2 suffer alone. May Peace Be Upon U & Ur Team JS 🙂

  13. Ronald Harris

    August 7, 2013

    Lord bless and keep you all ways

    Sent from my U.S. Cellular® Smartphone

    ——– Original message ——–

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